Mthwakazi activist case stalls again

Wisdom Mkhwananzi aka Siphamandla Mafu seen here about to give his oral evidence before the Kgalema Motlanthe commission on the August 1 killings.

The case in which Wisdom Mkhwananzi, a Mthwakazi activist, who was charged with insulting the President Emmerson Mnangagwa once again failed to kick off on Wednesday.

The state reportedly still needs authorization from the Prosecutor General to procede with the case.
His case will proceed through summons.

Mkhwananzi made a claim that President Mnangagwa killed his parents during the 1980s Gukurahundi atrocities.
while testifying at the August commission of inquiry hearing into the post-election violence that left six people dead in Harare on August 1.

Three weeks ago, Mkhwananzi appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate, Rachel Mukanga who revealed hat the docket was missing and the state did not have enough evidence to proceed with the case.

Mkhwananzi faces charges of undermining the authority of the President as defined in section 33(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, assault and lying under oath.

He is also accused of unlawfully and intentionally supplying a false name to the inquiry commission identifying himself as Siphamandla Mafu, which is different from the name on his national identification document.

Appearing concurrently with Mkhwananzi was Vanet Mayor Ncube, Marshal Sibanda and Welcome Moyo who were charged with inciting violence during the Motlanthe Commission hearing.

“On October 26 at Rainbow Hotel, the accused acting in consent, unlawfully and forcibly disturbed peace, security or order of the public to a serious extent assaulting Derrick Nkomo with fists and throwing chairs at him,” reads part of the state outline.

They were remanded out of custody to 18 December 2018.

The Commission, chaired by former South African president Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, submitted an executive summary of the report to President Mnangagwa on Thursday last week. It was appointed on August 29 and given three months to produce the final report.